Paula Sampaio, a researcher at CBMA, holds a Ph.D. in Biology and a Master's in Microbial Molecular Genetics from UMinho. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra. Presently, she serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Minho and holds various administrative roles, including Director of the doctoral program in Molecular and Environmental Biology and Co-Director and Member of the Steering Committee of the Department of Biology at the University of Minho. The research group led by Paula Sampaio focuses on fungal infections and the interaction between fungi and hosts, dedicated to studying issues related to limitations in the identification methods of pathogenic relevant fungal agents, the emergence of resistant species, and the limited availability of antifungal therapies. The research group was responsible for describing a new species of the Candida genus, named C. bracarensis, and has also contributed to the development of new diagnostic and differentiation molecular methods strategies for C. parapsilosis, Sporothrix spp, and Aspergillus spp. Their expertise led to the registration of a national patent (PT 115216). This research activity has enabled the establishment of collaborations with numerous national and international institutions, with which they have developed several projects and participated in research networks, notably the network related to MIRRI (Microbial Research Resource Infrastructure), where Paula Sampaio participates in the international committee for reviewing guidelines for determining minimum criteria for identifying yeasts and filamentous fungi in collections. Paula Sampaio team has also contributed to revealing the comparable impacts of phagocytosis and ETosis on the demise of C. albicans by macrophages and explored the effect of several virulence factors in host-fungus interaction, namely, the effect of RLM1 gene on internalization, particularly in lactate-adapted cells, the role of aspartic proteases and chitinase 3 in the virulence of C. albicans. Their studies have also fostered interest in developing immunomodulatory strategies aimed at creating a vaccine against C. albicans infections. Over the past 6 years, significant progress has been made in refining a vaccine formulation comprising a liposomal system delivering a recombinant C. albicans chitinase. Paula Sampaio has embraced the value of multidisciplinarity, collaborating with colleagues from diverse areas such as physics, chemistry, industrial biotechnology, and materials engineering to develop solutions that valorize underutilized agro-food by-products and organic waste into enzymes or organic acids for diverse applications. She has participated in European projects such as Volatile (Ref: 720777-2), TransBio (FP7 - KBBE – Nº289603), or Ecoagrifood (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000009). Paula Sampaio has supervised 4 post-doctoral researchers, 13 doctoral students, and 43 master's students and participated in several peer-reviewed ISI publications.